300 THORODDSEN 



cording to St. Stefansson's "Flora Islands," where 359 species are 

 described, 197 species are common all over the island, 37 common 

 in a few districts, 72 species are rather rare, and 53 species very rare. 

 As already mentioned, the vegetation has a homogeneous cha- 

 racter throughout the island, and - - according to our present know- 

 ledge there are only a few species which are especially charac- 

 teristic of certain parts of the island. East Iceland (Mulassyslur) 

 is most noticeable in this respect; also, plant- geographically, 

 Austur-Skaftafellssysla, which stretches as a narrow ribbon along 

 the southern edge of Vatnajokull as far as to Skeidararsandur; this 

 extensive sandy tract forms a limit for several of the eastern spe- 

 cies. Campanula rotundifolia is a common characteristic plant in 

 East Iceland, but very rarely so in other places : I found the most 

 westerly individuals of this species on Brunasandur towards the 

 southwest, and at Holkna in the district of Thistilfjord towards the 

 north, but it is very common east of these boundaries. Saxifraga 

 aizoides is very common in East Iceland, but has not been found 

 elsewhere I found it in a most south-westerly direction at 0ra3fi 



*/ 



and in a most north-westerly direction near Vidirholl at Fjallasveit. 

 Trientalis europea grows in various places in the coppice-woods of 

 East Iceland, but nowhere else; Alchimilla fceroensis is also common 

 in East Iceland, but has not been found elsewhere. Cerastinm Ed- 

 mondstonii has been found in some places in East Iceland and in 

 one locality in Skaftafellssysla. Saxifraga Cotyledon grows along 

 the south-eastern coast from Foss in Sida to Eskifjord, and two 

 species of rose, Rosa pimpinellifolia and R. canina, grow along the 

 same stretch of coast and nowhere else: the former was found in 

 three habitats, westernmost at Seljaland and easternmost at Reydar- 

 fjord; the latter was found only at Tvisker on Breidamerkursandur. 

 Lychnis flos cnculi grows along the south coast from Eyjaijoll to 

 0raefi and has not been found in other districts. 



In South and South-west Iceland several species are common 

 which either are not found or are very rare in other districts. 

 Spircea ulmaria is common from Borgarfjord to Lonsheidi, rare in 

 other places, and not found in Mulasyslur; Brunella vnlgaris is very 

 common in South Iceland, but very rare in other places; Plantago 

 lanceolata is also common in South Iceland, but has otherwise been 

 found only in a few places in North Iceland near hot springs. Suc- 

 cisa pratensis is characteristic of South Iceland and is especially 

 common in Vestur-Skaftafellssysla, west of Brunasandur. Valeriana 



